Toto Wolff admits that his Mercedes Formula 1 team “read the race wrong” with Lewis Hamilton on what he called a “painful evening” in Singapore.
Having qualified an encouraging third Hamilton started on the soft tyres, and after the inevitable early stop he slipped down the order to eventually finish sixth.
His team mate George Russell started fourth and finished in the same position, just holding off Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
“It was a really painful evening,” said Wolff. “It’s not about when you look at the positions, you’re fourth and sixth, that’s not good, especially when you’re starting second and third.
“We struggle at the moment with tracks that are hot, and are tough on traction. It was here, it was Baku. But this is no excuse.
“I think it’s just at the moment not what we what we expect from ourselves, because if your quickest car is a minute behind the leader, it’s just difficult to accept.”
Hamilton made his frustration at the strategy choice clear on the radio.
“I think we’ve read the race wrong,” said Wolff. “We took a decision based on historic Singapore races, where it’s basically a procession, Monaco-like, and that the soft would give him an opportunity at the start as pretty much the only overtaking opportunity.
“And that was the wrong decision that we all took together jointly. It felt like a good offset, but with the real tyre deg that we had, there was just one way, and that was backwards.
“So I think there was a logic behind it, but obviously was contrary of what we should have decided. But it doesn’t hide away from the fact that when the car is too slow, you’re too slow. Maybe you’re a position ahead or behind, that doesn’t change anything.”
Hamilton and Russell both skipped media activities after the race as they felt unwell.
“They didn’t feel well at the beginning,” said Wolff. “I think there was a borderline heatstroke or something along that. But they’ve been in the in the water, but they wouldn’t have been able to go to the [media] pen.
“There was no bad feeling or annoyance. It was just we had the doctors with them, but they’re all good.”
